I got two questions recently that I need to address. One reader asked what plants I grow in my drought-tolerant parking strip. I'll list some in a few days.

Another query was about what I grow in a kiddie pool that I wrote about. It wasn't actually me who planted them. It is installed on the roof of the Rocket restaurant and is planted with arugula. I don't see why you couldn't have pretty much any green, as well as radishes, green onions, basil or any shallow-rooted veggie or annual herb.

Here's what I wrote:

The Rocket gardeners have devised a variation on hydroponics that is so simple it's astonishing it hasn't been discovered by everyone. They fill the wading pools with vermiculite or gravel to 2 to 4 inches and top with soil mixture. Then they drill holes through the sides where the vermiculite ends and soil starts. Water is added to the point it begins to just trickle out the holes. Roots reach down and suck up the water. The technique takes less water, time and equipment than overhead or drip irrigation.